


act one; the shifting tides

by whichlights



Series: sparkle sparkle shift [1]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Canonical Character Death, Gen, Magic, Shapeshifting, canon has been written over graciously with a red pen, canon typical things i guess?, this is canon compliant in the vaguest sense possible
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-14 16:22:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16916247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whichlights/pseuds/whichlights
Summary: The moment Nathaniel Wesninski had learned he had magic, he was saved and damned.(Or, the one where a good chunk of the foxes have some bit of magical ability, and things aren't exactly the same because of it.)





	act one; the shifting tides

**Author's Note:**

> i had to get the expositioniest bit out of the way before i posted any other drabbles for this universe, so here it is!

The moment Nathaniel Wesninski had learned he had magic, he was saved and damned. 

His mother had sat him down one day and explained to him that he was a shapeshifter, like her- he could alter his physical appearance, but if he did, it would mark him as a magic user. 

It made a life on the run both easier and harder. He could make the perfect disguise in seconds, but it would reveal him as a magic user. No one would know exactly what, but radiating magic wasn’t exactly inconspicuous.

It didn’t mean he could exactly stop himself from using it. Magic was very deeply ingrained into the being of the people born with it, and often acted out in regards to their emotions. In Seattle, he’d nearly been caught by a group of men looking to cause trouble and hurt people, and had managed to escape by shifting into someone else.

Within two days, his father’s people had come to reclaim him and his mother.

She didn’t survive the encounter. They made it to California and she was forcing him to recite the only rules she’d ever taught him.

_ Never stay anywhere too long. _

_ Never be someone too long. _

_ Your magic is powerful and dangerous. Be careful with it. _

When he realized she was saying goodbye, he carefully shifted out of the blond disguise he’d worn for two weeks into his natural coloring. She touched his face and said, “control yourself,” and she was gone.

\---

The day Wymack came for him, Neil had already broken all of her rules.

He’d been in Milport for too long. He’d been Neil Josten too long. And the Milport store didn’t have hairdye in stock this week, so he’d fallen back on magic to keep the red of his roots from poking through. 

Wymack radiated magic energy, even if Neil couldn’t tell what he was. Same as he knew Wymack was picking up the aura on Neil. He wanted to run. He wanted to get away, change his facial structure, and  _ leave.  _ Because of his mother’s warning, Neil Josten was one of his least elaborate disguises because it was completely mundane. Hair dye and colored contacts only, but if he used his magic he could turn into anyone. 

He didn’t run too far before he ended up on the ground with Andrew Minyard standing over him. Neil really hated his life. Had  _ every  _ magical being, magic user and shell come out of the woodworks to come see him on the  _ one day _ he’d slipped up?

Apparently so, because Kevin fucking Day was here.

Neil wished he had teleportation. Or something to make a smoke screen. Or, hell, some  _ useful  _ powers of memory manipulation. He’d even settle for a really big stick. 

Part of Neil’s brain was assessing the level of fuckery he was in. Magic ability wasn’t the least common thing in the world- about a third of the population had some innate party trick or ability. Powerful magic was rarer, and often learned, but it wasn’t unheard of. 

Of course, since Kevin was a shapeshifter, Andrew was a shell with the ability to sense magical ability, and Wymack was God knew what, all of them could sense his magic and potentially call him out on it. 

But then they made an offer he couldn’t refuse, and he ended up signing to the Palmetto State Foxes. 

His mother was probably rolling in her sandy, ashy grave.

\---

Luckily for Neil, not everyone on the team was magic.

Wymack was a changeling, apparently. He’d mentioned it in passing at a press conference one time, and Neil had found that when he did preliminary research on his new team. He didn’t seem to have any powers or abilities beyond the fact that he could manipulate minor plantlife and constantly send up a beacon of magic energy. Neil felt himself wincing in sympathy- and he’d thought he’d gotten a shit deal.

Neil already knew Kevin was another shapeshifter. It was in his binder. Kevin was just a different kind of shifter than Neil- where Neil turned into people, Kevin turned into animals. He’d been seen as a weasel, a raven, and a few variations of cats and dogs, which had always struck Neil as odd. Most other shapeshifters liked to turn into bigger things, and often more regularly than Kevin. Kevin seemed to have no imagination when it came to his own powers. 

Andrew and Aaron Minyard were both shells, humans born with the ability to sense magic and not much else. It was even extremely difficult for them to learn magic like most humans. Shells often had a signature magic trick, though, and Neil didn’t know anything about what the twins might be able to do. 

Nicky Hemmick and Matt Boyd were the only taught and learned magic users on the team. Matt’s magic was reportedly weaker than most people, but he was a healer. He was very good at covering up small scratches, bruises, and scrapes. On one memorable occasion, Dan had gotten a broken nose in an Exy game, and Matt had stopped the game to fix it for her. Neil watched the video.

Nicky Hemmick, on the other hand, was a slightly stronger magic user, but he used it mostly for sparkling light shows. He also had water manipulation powers. Neil didn’t know how those two related, and he wasn’t sure why Nicky had picked it up, but he seemed happy with it.

Allison Reynolds was descended from unicorns. She had no comment on the matter except that no, she couldn’t turn into a rainbow horse. Neil knew unicorns and their descendants were ridiculously good at seeing through illusions and lies. He’d have to be careful around her. 

The rest of the team seemed human, based on his research. Maybe he could do this.

\---

He was at Columbia and he absolutely could not do this.

“What are you?” Andrew asked. Neil panicked, obviously. Andrew seemed so nonchalant about it, leaning back in his seat like he wasn’t about to undermine Neil’s entire secret identity. 

“What do you mean?”

“Back in Milport, you smelled like magic. Now you don’t. So it’s probably a one trick thing. What are you, and do I need to worry about you.”

“I’m nothing.”

“Bullshit.” Andrew leaned forward across the table. Aaron and Nicky were gone. Kevin was gone. It was just them and Neil wanted to shift and run. “Don’t lie to me.”

Neil gave him part of the truth. “I have a minor ability to manipulate people’s thoughts. Really, really minor. I can change someone’s short term memory to something else, and make people forget they saw me, but only one, only within about five or ten minutes, and it’s really really a useless power.”

It really was a shitty power. He’d gotten it from his father.

Andrew seemed satisfied with that response, though. And, as a truth for truth, when he exhaled smoke, he started moving his hand very slightly, and the smoke began to wrap around his hand before dissipating. 

\---

Neil knew Kevin was a shapeshifter, of course. It was a little different to walk up to Wymack’s apartment and hear Wymack consoling a wildly squeaking weasel. 

“Can you please turn back so I can have a rational conversation with you?” Wymack asked. “And I won’t give you booze if you’re a weasel.”

The weasel wriggled and squeaked loudly. It gave Wymack a pathetic look, and Wymack sighed.

“Yes, the committee is full of idiots. Yes, this is awful. You are not going back. You aren’t going to go back with your tail between your legs because Riko came calling. Now can you please calm down and get rid of your tail?”

Kevin dislodged himself from Wymack’s grip and curled up on the couch as a weasel. Wymack went outside to where Neil was standing. “Sorry about that.”

“What was that about?” Neil found himself asking.

“Edgar Allen transferred to our district.”

“They can’t do that.”

“They just did.”

Wymack explained about the Moriyamas, because he thought it was only fair Neil knew. The pieces clicked in Neil’s head, of course, how he had come to the Raven’s field on that day, but that wasn’t the pressing issue on his mind.

“Why is Kevin a weasel?”

Wymack frowns. “If that was a secret that stays between the team, so is this.”

Neil felt his eyes widen. “Is… is there something wrong with Kevin’s power?”  _ Can that happen?  _

Wymack sighed. “No one knows why. Kevin says that’s how it’s always been- actually, specifically, how it’s been since his mother died and he went to live with Riko and his uncle. Bee’s current theory is the trauma caused such a disruption in his emotions that his magic has been trying to protect him ever since.”

“Then why is he a weasel?” Neil insisted. “Why not, I don’t know, a bear, or a lion? That’s more protection than a weasel.”

Wymack sighed. “You’ve never met a shapeshifter, have you?”

Neil lied, “no.”

“They can only turn into animals they’re familiar with. When he was younger, Kevin’s mother took him to zoos all the time, got him a pet weasel, and let him play with any animal they met that wasn’t sick or dangerous. When he went to join the Ravens, all those outlets were lost. Weasel is all he has to default to.”

“Then why doesn’t he just turn back?” If Neil didn’t like the direction his disguises took, he could always shift them back. Unless… “can he… not do that?”

Wymack sighed. “He’s going to hate me for telling you this, but since the rest of the team already knows in some way or another, it’s only fair. No, he can’t. When he transforms out of sheer panic or stress, he can’t change back until he calms down.”

“What if that happens during a game?” Neil insisted. 

Wymack rolled his eyes. “It doesn’t. Kevin’s a fanatic. He’s been bodychecked and hit and all sorts of panic inducing things, but he’s never transformed on the court. His focus keeps his unstable powers in check. And, do  _ not _ tell him this, I think because an Exy court is the only place he’s happy, he doesn’t need to panic there.”

Neil nodded. “Does… does Riko know?”

“Signs point to yes.”

\---

The first time Neil ever saw Kevin transform, it was on Kathy Ferdinand’s show. Riko walked in, and Kevin immediately turned into a dark brown and black weasel. 

Neil grabbed him immediately and put him on his shoulders. Kevin hissed and bit his ear, but Neil ignored him. 

Riko raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. He seemed to be gloating. 

Kathy and Riko talked for a bit about the season, the district transfer, and Neil spent the entire time trying to keep Kevin from jumping off of his shoulders. The topic shifted to Kevin- and how he should never play again, because he might injure himself.

Kevin went deadly still on Neil’s shoulders.

Neil kissed his survival instincts goodbye and told Riko, “I thought friends were supposed to support each other. You should be happy that Kevin is playing again, even if it’s not with you.”

Kevin was looking at Riko desperately, like he could communicate  _ this idiot does not speak for me please do not hurt me _ as Neil continued, “So, some friend you are. You want to do for the south what Kevin did for the Foxes, but you don’t want Kevin to actually play? Why? Scared of a little competition?”

Anger flared in Riko’s eyes, and Neil remembered that Riko was a magic user. A very powerful one. He couldn’t lash out on national television. He wouldn’t.

Kathy, apparently sensing the tension, said, “Well, it seems we’re in for a  _ very  _ interesting season! Kevin’s past versus his present- or is it his future? Don’t suppose we can get any last comments from Kevin?”

Kevin the weasel shook his head. 

Kathy laughed it off, and the second the commercial break went, Neil darted off to go meet his teammates.

“What. Have. You.  _ Done _ !” Wymack was the first to say. “I told you to play nice!”

Neil handed him the weasel from his neck. Wymack wordlessly handed Kevin to Andrew, who stuffed him in his hoodie pocket. 

“I understand what I’ve done,” Neil said. 

Dan chimed in worriedly, “No-“

“I do. Coach told me everything.”

“He isn’t going to let this stand,” Andrew warned lazily. 

“I know.”

\---

When Seth died, Neil already had his new alias planned.

A black haired, brown eyed boy, who was nonverbal. Because apparently he needed to keep his mouth shut. He’d perfected his disguise in the mirror that morning.

He’d go to a giant city. There were pros and cons, but an undeniable pro was that he would blend in better, because magic users drifted to big cities. He was going to be halfway out the door by the time anyone thought to look for him.

That was the plan. That was supposed to be the  _ plan _ .

He wasn’t leaving. In fact, he was doing the exact opposite of leaving, with standing in front of the door to Foxhole Court. Approaching the door. Entering the door. Getting out his gear.

Neil went through drills on his own, because he could do that. Because, fuck it, he was allowed to like this stupid sport. 

He turned around at some point and Andrew was there, giving him an apathetic glare. “Liar,” was all he said. 

“Liar what?” Neil asked. 

“You lied to me. Unless you needed to manipulate someone’s memory shittily before you came to play stickball by yourself.”

Magic residue. Neil had planned on splitting and came to the court instead. Because he wanted to stay. But his powers still left the trace. 

“I didn’t lie,” Neil said. “It’s just not my only power.”

Andrew stood there, expectantly waiting for an answer.

Neil sighed. “I’m a shapeshifter.”

Andrew just yawned. “And here I’d thought we’d found some variety. What’s your trick? Do you do a gerbil?”

“No. I don’t do animals.” With a sigh, Neil shifted his hair to as shockingly unnatural of a pink as he could. “That kind of shifter.”

Andrew seemed unimpressed. “So the runaway has a built in disguise kit.”

“A magic one. That’s easy to sniff out.” Neil put his hair back to the way it was supposed to be. "I told you about my family."

Andrew gave him a cool look, then said, “Alright.”

“Alright? That’s all you have to say?”

“Yes.”

Okay then.

Neil was so stupid for deciding to stay. 

**Author's Note:**

> my tumblr is witchlightsands, please support my dumb bi ass


End file.
